This paper will explore what Sethe's reasons at the time were that she saw no other option than to kill her own children.
This question is best answered by first looking at the relationship of the women who live in the house with the number 124. Since the novel is set in 1873, it is incredibly important to deal with the impact that slavery has especially on the female characters. I will then elaborate on the specific reasons that made Sethe kill her children, underpinned by a close analysis of the moment when her owner finds them and Sethe kills Beloved. Was it love, a form of self-protection or was it even an attempt to take possession and exercise power in the context of slavery? In the end I will then summarise the main points why Sethe saw no other choice than to kill her own children.
Killing her own child is probably the most horrible act a loving mother can imagine. But this is exactly what Sethe, the main character of “Beloved”, written by Toni Morrison in 1987, does. Sethe is a former slave who experiences and survives various acts of physical and psychological violence, all with the hope of being reunited with her children. She eventually manages to escape, while being pregnant with her fourth child, but when her former owner finds her at the home of her mother-in-law, she sees no choice but to kill her children. Sethe carries this trauma silently with her for years, declared an outcast by the community and aware that the ghost of the one girl she really killed, lives with them under the same roof. One day a young woman appears who bears the name of this dead daughter, Beloved. Morrison never really makes clear who this young girl is but and it is implied that this Beloved is the reincarnation of the daughter Sethe killed. Gradually, the two develop a dangerous obsession with each other, rooted in the horrific act, which can only be ended by an exorcism. It is often debated if Sethe's decision was correct, but the aim of this essay is not to examine whether she had the right to do it or not, as the characters in the novel already do that by showing different reactions to Sethe’s infanticide. It is also not up to the reader to judge a former slave, as the novel sends a far more important message: not to forget the terrible things slavery did to people. This paper will explore what Sethe's reasons at the time were that she saw no other option than to kill her own children.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. MOTHERHOOD IN SLAVERY
3. WHAT MAKES A MOTHER KILL HER OWN CHILDREN?
3.1 MURDER FOR LOVE?
3.2 A LACK OF OWNERSHIP?
4. CONCLUSION
Research Objectives and Core Themes
The primary objective of this work is to explore, via a close analysis of Toni Morrison’s "Beloved," the complex psychological and social reasons behind Sethe’s act of infanticide, viewing it through the lens of motherhood under the pressures of the slavery system.
- The traumatic impact of slavery on maternal identity and bonding.
- The moral and ethical dimensions of "infanticide" in an enslaved context.
- The role of "rememory" and the persistence of past trauma.
- The significance of the character named Beloved as a catalyst for narrative revelations.
- The tension between ownership and the autonomy of motherhood.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Murder for love?
When Schoolteacher found 124 and wanted to take them back, as they were his property, Sethe makes the decision "to take us all to the other side where my own ma'am is" (203). Sethe's desire to take her children to where her own mother is shows how much Sethe needs a maternal figure. She knows that her mother is dead, but she does not say so, but uses a metaphor for it. Where her mother is, however, is the one place Schoolteacher will never get her and her children to return to a life of slavery. Similar to the rest of the novel, the description of the moment when Schoolteacher came for them is narrated by an omniscient narrator in the third person. Through him, we learn Sethe's thoughts and memories: "When she saw them coming and recognized schoolteacher's hat, she heard wings. Little hummingbirds stuck their needle beaks right through her headcloth into her hair and beat their wings. And if she thought anything, it was No. No. Nono. Nonono. Simple. She just flew. Collected every bit of life she had made, all the parts of her that were precious and fine and beautiful, and carried, pushed, dragged them through the veil, out, away, over there where no one could hurt them. Over there. Outside this place, where they would be safe." (192)
Sethe acts in a kind of ecstasy. For her, the situation is quickly clear, which is made clear by the word "simple" and the reference to the animals, showing that she did not think about it but rather acted according to her first instinct.
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: Outlines the research focus on Sethe’s infanticide in Toni Morrison’s "Beloved" and establishes the methodological approach of examining motherhood within the context of slavery.
2. MOTHERHOOD IN SLAVERY: Analyzes the brutal conditions of slavery and how they destroyed the traditional maternal role, treating slave women as "breeding machines" rather than mothers.
3. WHAT MAKES A MOTHER KILL HER OWN CHILDREN?: Investigates the psychological triggers and the specific, desperate environment that led Sethe to perceive killing her child as the only protective option.
3.1 MURDER FOR LOVE?: Examines whether Sethe’s act can be interpreted as an extreme form of protective love, sacrificing her children's lives to save them from the horrors of slavery.
3.2 A LACK OF OWNERSHIP?: Explores how the dehumanizing nature of slavery—where Sethe and her children were property—influenced her desperate desire to exert control over her children's existence.
4. CONCLUSION: Synthesizes the core argument that Sethe’s actions reflect the "thick love" and trauma of an enslaved woman, emphasizing that the atrocities of slavery must not be forgotten.
Keywords
Beloved, Toni Morrison, Sethe, Infanticide, Slavery, Motherhood, Trauma, Rememory, Maternal Instinct, Ownership, Dehumanization, Resistance, Psychological impact, 124, Slave narrative.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this analysis?
The analysis investigates the tragic act of infanticide committed by the character Sethe in Toni Morrison's "Beloved" and explores the underlying motivations shaped by the experience of slavery.
What are the central themes discussed in the paper?
The central themes include the traumatic legacy of slavery, the distortion of maternal instincts, the struggle for bodily autonomy, and the psychological impact of objectification.
What is the primary research objective?
The essay aims to evaluate whether Sethe’s decision to kill her children can be understood as an act of protective love and a resistance against the dehumanizing institution of slavery.
Which methodology is applied in this research?
The study uses a close literary analysis of the novel, combined with an examination of the historical and social context of 19th-century American slavery.
What is covered in the main section of the document?
The main section details the lived reality of enslaved women, the specific psychological trauma of Sethe, the symbolic role of the ghost-child Beloved, and the ideological conflict between ownership and motherhood.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Essential keywords include Beloved, infanticide, slavery, motherhood, trauma, and maternal autonomy.
How does the author interpret the role of "Beloved" in the novel?
The author considers Beloved as a catalyst for memory and a manifestation of the past, challenging the characters—and the reader—to confront the suppressed trauma of the characters' history.
What is the author's stance on the moral judgment of Sethe?
The author argues against simple moralizing, suggesting instead that Sethe’s actions must be understood as a desperate response to a system that stripped her of her agency and dignity as a mother.
How does the concept of "rememory" function in this context?
Rememory is presented as a mechanism where suppressed memories of the past return to haunt the present, reflecting the necessity of remembering and dealing with trauma rather than trying to forget the past.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2020, Infanticide in "Beloved" by Toni Morrison. What makes a mother kill her own children?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1420586
